Winter’s Apple Pie

*This post for a Winter’s apple pie is made possible in partnership with Rustica Hardware. All words and opinions are my own.

I’ve always been a daydreamer. A fairytale lover. Someone with a mind full of fanciful pictures.

One of those pictures has involved a Dutch door and a hot apple pie – you know the scene. Maybe it’s Snow White. Maybe someone else. But she pulls a piping hot pie from the oven, steam swirling through the cracks in the lattice as she slides it onto the half door to cool, bluebirds chirping, squirrels scampering up giant evergreens, babbling brook playing it’s music in the distance.

Ok.

So I might be lacking most of the more “fantastical” elements required to pull that one off, but I do have the most important element.

The Dutch door.

When the production of this home began, there were a lot of design choices to be made. One I never had to think much about was what kind of door would be right for the front of the house. Dutch doors were part of my dreams and I could hardly wait to see one here on this farmhouse.

Only problem? Dutch doors are actually not super easy to find. Somehow I came across a company that made them, and lo and behold…they were based only a few hours from where I was building. It always makes me so proud to share a lump of earth with people doing impressive things.

I’ve been so, so lucky to be able to work with Rustica Hardware and their amazing owners, Paul and Kate, a husband and wife business duo running their dream up near the mountains of Springville, Utah.

They custom designed the most stunning Dutch door that leads right to the front porch off of the kitchen. It’s rich and glossy, heavy and thick, clean-lined and everything I could have ever dreamed of. You’d better believe we spend a lot of time with the top of the door wide open(ok, maybe not so much in the winter, unless I’ve burned something), while the breeze blows through and the chickens remain safely barred from the home, pillaging the plants that line the porch(ask me how happy I am about this).

Not only did Rustica Hardware craft the most beautiful front door, but they also built a super-thick butcher block to cover the counterspace around my stove. Beautiful and functional, I have the added benefit of chopping right on it and sliding things right into their pans.

Sliding barn doors were the crowning touch for this home. They make great use of tricky spaces that don’t allow for traditional swinging doors, like this loft space and the kitchen pantry door. Their mid-century design is so unusual, refreshingly clean and simple, and fits my style perfectly.

Even the bathroom gets a special touch with a seeded glass sliding barn door. The minimal but substantial black hardware makes just the right statement. I love a lot of things about this home, but I’d have to say the doors are the cherry on top. I’m obsessed!

Oh, and that pie.

I thought it would be fun to bring the flavors of hot wassail to an apple pie. Nothing seems more perfect during the frigid winter. Citrus and vanilla, spices and apple. That’ll warm you up…depending on how much vanilla ice cream you pile on top!

6 large Granny Smith or other firm Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½” thick slices

⅓ cup cornstarch

⅔ cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Juice of ½ Lemon

Zest of 1 Orange

juice of ½ Orange

¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger

¼ teaspoon Ground Cardamom(can use nutmeg, instead)

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an 's' blade. Pulse the mixture a few times until blended together.

Add the shortening to the food processor and pulse once. Add the cubes of butter, one at a time, pulsing a few times after the addition of each cube.

With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water until the mixture starts to form into large clumps. Do not add too much water. Dough should not be sticky or wet, but should come together to form a nice dough.

Divide the dough in half, wrap up one half and set aside.

Roll the other half of dough into a ball and place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll to a circle that is 1½-2 inches larger in circumference than your pie dish.

Place the sheet of dough over the top of your pie dish and remove parchment paper. Press the dough in to fit the bottom and sides of the dish. There should be a little bit of dough left hanging over the edges. Trim dough around the edge of the pie.

Roll the other half of the dough into a circle as large as your pie dish in between two sheets of parchment paper.

Place both of the crusts in the fridge and make the pie filling

FOR THE APPLE FILLING:

Place apple slices in a large bowl along with the cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Toss until well coated.

Spoon the apple mixture into the dough covered pie dish, scraping the bowl and making sure that all of the liquid makes it into the pie, as well.

Use the chilled circle of dough to cover the pie in any manner desired.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the top of the pie crust with the beaten egg.

Cover the top of the pie in a layer of tin foil - this will prevent the crust from browning too soon.

Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. At the end of 45 minutes, remove the tin foil and continue to bake the pie for another 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.